Inter Country Committee

For many years, PDG Barton Goldenberg has been the D7620 representative to and is currently the president of the US-Russia ICC. We hold monthly meetings with Russians and Americans to discuss ‘soft diplomacy’ project and exchanges between our two countries. For example, this includes funding projects for children in St. Petersburg that have cerebral policy, and for orphaned children in Moscow that need cloths and toiletries. US members typically participate in the Russian annual District Conference, and Russian members often participate in US District Conferences. We do exchanges — e.g., business exchanges, medical exchanges — whereby a number of Rotarians from the US visit Russia or a number of Rotarians from the Russia visit the US. Collaboration since Russia’s military conflict in Ukraine has become more challenging but I am pleased to say we have organized a great annual ICC conference in Washington, DC in April 2023 where we have many Americans and Russian participants and where we will discuss how to further Rotary involvement in Russia during and after the military conflict ends.

PDG Barton Goldenberg is also the D7620 representative to the US-Ukraine ICC. This ICC meets monthly and has been very active funding numerous projects throughout Ukraine to include humanitarian aid such as medical equipment including wound closure devices, medical supplies such tourniquets and combat medical kits, power generators for hospitals and schools, and more. The metroBethesda Rotary Club (D7620) — past president Daniel Fischer and PDG Barton Goldenberg — initiated the Global Ukraine Humanitarian Aid Coalition (GUHAC) that brought together 20 Rotary districts worldwide in partnership with the Lviv International Rotary Club and United Help Ukraine; we have raised $1,150,000 in Rotary Disaster Response grants funds for humanitarian aid in Ukraine.

United Staes and Russia Intercountry Committee

CONTACT

Barton Goldenberg, PDG

chart of supplies needed
bag of supplies